Sucker-rod elevator



March 31, 1931. YERKES T AL 1,798,296

SUCKER ROD ELEVATOR Filed Feb. 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 2 A g Tic l 2/ INVENTORS 5 John 14. 2rk$ BY L/Oh? Eon/slay ziTTORAUEKS March 31, 1931.

J. A. YERKES ET AL ,798,296

SUCKER ROD ELEVATOR Filed Feb. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f 5 4 F 1C. 5

Q Z6 Z7 12v VENTORS Jo/717' A. X97965 BY John (7. 5005/09 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 warren stares PATENT GFFICE JOHN A. YERKES AND JOHN G. FOUSLOG, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA STICKER-ROD ELEVATOR Application filed February 3, 1930.

This invention relates to an elevator adapted to engage and support rods having outstanding collars, such as sucker rods. The use of the present invention in conjunction 5 with rod racks or hangers as employed in oil well work will illustrate its utility. In oil wells, it is the common practice to have a derrick so arranged that stands or lengths of sucker rods may be suspended therein espe- 19 cially during elevation of the sucker rod string or lowering thereof. The sucker rods in current use have an end with a square serving as a wrench hold, flanges or collars laterally projecting from the rod at the ends 15 of the square. Hangers or racks are commonly employed having slots to receive the smaller portion of the rod and arranged so that acollar will span a slot and the rods may be supported on the hanger or rack by resting on their collars. The rack' is suspended by suitable means in the derrick.

Elevators for handling such rods must be so arranged as to leave the lower or inner collar free. To this end, elevators have been constructed which engage the rod at the square and above the lower collar. This permits a rod to be manipulated by means of the elevator to dispose it in the slot of a rod rack and enables it to be supported on its lower collar without interference by the elevator. It also permits a rod stored in a rack to be grabbed by the elevator and removed from the rack without requiring initial disturbance of the rod. Elevators comprising a slotted body for embracing the square on a rod and suspending the rod by its upper or outer collar have been provided for this purpose. To prevent displacement of the rod from the slot in the elevators, a gate sleeve slidable on the body has been provided. This sleeve in its lower position spans the mouth of the slots and acts as a guard to prevent. the rod from passing through the mouth. In its upper position the sleeve clears the rod and permits disengagement or release. Such sleeves are commonly mounted so as to be freely slidable on the body and are therefore subject to accidental displacement from closed to open position. Furthermore, when the elevator is to be attached to arod, the

Serial 1510. 425,572.

sleeve must be held in open position until the rod is inserted. This requires labor and skill on the part of the one operating the elevator.

The present invention has for its objects the provision in an elevator of the character described, of means to lock the sleeve in either open or closed position; and the provision of a renewable and reversible seat for the rod to rest upon.

These objects together with other objects and corresponding accomplishments are obtained by means of the embodiment of our invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 65 Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the sucker rod elevator with a fragment of a sucker rod shown therein with the gate shown in closed position; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view simiiar to 1, parts being shown in section to better illustrate the invention; Fig. 3 is a section as seen on the line 38 of Fig. 2; Fig. i is an elevation partly in section showing the gate in open position; Fig. 5 is a view taken at right angle to Fig. 4 and showing a sucker rod in initial entering position; and 6 is a perspective view of a detachable seat.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a hollow body is indicated by 10, the so body ha "ing a cylindrical portion with a rib 11 and a neck or shank 12. Rotatably mounted upon the neck is a bearing member 13 for supporting the body, there being a thrust bearing race 14 held in position by a nut 15 threaded upon the end of the body. Bearing member 13 is provided with pintlcs 16 to receive the eyes of a bail 17; he elevator may be suspended by means of tackle secured to the bail. Windows 18 and 19 are provided in the body so as to provide for viewing a sucker rod which may be in position therein. Adjacent the bottom of the chamber in the body is a ledge 20 meeting a slot 21 opening through one side oi the body, the slot having as a width about equal. to the width of the square of a sucker rod. An external flange 2:2 on the body serves as a stop for the gate sleeve. Detachably mounted upon the body adjacent the upper end is a keeper 23 for a A renewable seat E l 1e ledge 20.

- dable upon the body is 25. sleeve 25 has a slot or groove receive ill) ii the body and thereby to prevent rotation of the sleeve upon the body. Vii. A l 2? the sleeve are provided (lows l8 and 19 in t e is in the lower position sl r 1 and 2, it will span the iron l and form a guard or therefor. in the lower position, the sleeve rests upon the flange In the upper position shown in Figs. -Lland 5, the sleeve permits introductlOjl inro t: x y of a s cker rod indicated by and in i g. 5 the sucker rod is shown atthe entrance of the slot. The sleeve is slotted as indicated by 28 to accommodate a catch, ther cars 21) between which is mounted th 00. llhe catch is pivotally secured to sleeve by a pin 31. At the upper one or the c; t i a lateral projection adapted to heel over he keeper as shown in F i or under the i hown in t l s H r A leai spii g v catch. into engagement to the keeper.

Reterring to the dra. 'ir' Figs. l and 5 illustrate the elevator in no ition to receive a sucker rod. 111 this posi disposed with the catch 3 hooked over the keeper 523. The spring 33 holds the c; ch in this position. it is then easy to slip the elevator over the end of a sucker rod with the square portion in the slot 21, the inner collar below the body and the upper collar disposed so that it may rest upon the seat 2-1. l w'hen the parts have been disposed so that the sucker rod entirely within the slot, the catch pressed at its finger portion 3% so as to release it from the keeper. Thereupon, the sleeve drops to the position shown in 1 and 2, and the catch engages the under face of the keeper 23 looking it in this position. It is obvious, that the position of the sleeve cannot be changed except by operation of the latch. The lat-ch serves to maintain the sleeve either in its open or closed position. lVhen in open position, the elevator may be operated to grab a sucker rod, without any necessity on the part of the person manipulating it to hold the sleeve in open position.

hat we claim is 1. An elevator for rods having collars com prising a body member having a laterally extending slot bordered by a ledge forming a seat for the collar of a rod, a gate member slidable longitudinally on said body to span the mouth of said slot, and a latch for locking said gate member and said body member in predetermined position in relation to one another.

2. An elevator for rods having collars comon, the sleeve is prising a body member having a laterally eX- tending slot bordered by a ledge forming a seat for the collar of a rod, a gate member slidable longitudinally on said body to span a mouth of said slot, and a latch having a catch on one of said members and a keeper on the other of said members, said catch and keeper being engageable to lock said members in predetermined relation to one another.

3. An elevator for rods having collars comprising a body member having a laterally e:-' tending slot bordered by a ledge forming a seat for the collar of a rod, a gate member slidable longitudinally on said body to span a mouth of said slot, a latch having a catch on one of said members and a keeper on the other of said members. said catch and keeper being engageable in either of two positions whereby to lock said gate members either in open or closed position.

4. An elevator for rods having collars comprising a body member having a laterally extending slot bordered by a ledge forming a seat for the collar of a rod, a gate member encompassing said body member and slidable thereon to span the mouth of said slot, and a catch for locking said gate member and said body member in predetermined position in relation to one another.

5. An elevator for rods having collars comprising a body member having a laterally eX- tending slot bordered by a. ledge forming a seat for the collar of a rod, a gate member encompassing said body member and slidable thereon to span the mouth of said slot, a latch having a catch on one of said members and a keeper on the other of said members, said catch and keeper being engageable to lock said members in predetermined relation to one another.

6. An elevator for rods having collars comprising a body member having a laterally ex tending slot bordered by a ledge forming a seat for the collar of a rod, a gate member encompassing said body member and slidable thereon to span the mouth of said slot, a latch having a catch on one of said members and a keeper on the other of said members said catch and keeper being engageable in either of two positions whereby to lock said gate member either in open or closed position.

7. An elevator for rods having collars comprising a body member having a laterally extending slot bordered by a ledge forming a seat for the collar of a rod, a gate sleeve slidable on said body to span the mouth of said slot, a keeper on said body having an upper retaining ledge and a lower retaining ledge, a catch on said body having a lateral projection to either engage over said upper ledge or be disposed under said lower ledge whereby to lock said gate sleeve either in upper slotopen position or lower slot closed position.

8. An elevator for rods having collars comprising a body member having a laterally extending slot bordered by a ledge, a detachable seat member mounted on said ledge forming a seat for the collar of the rod, a gate member slidable longitudinally on said body to span the mouth of said slot, and a latch for locking said gate member and said body member in predetermined position in relation to one another.

9. An elevator for rods having collars comprising a body member having a laterally eX- tending slot bordered by a ledge, a detachable seat member mounted on said ledge and forming a seat for the collar of a rod, a gate member encompassing said body member and slidable thereon to span the mouth of said slot, and a latch for locking said gate member and said body member in predetermined position in relation to one another. 7

10. An elevator for rods having collars comprising a body member having a laterally extending slot bordered by a ledge, a detachable seat member mounted on said ledge forming a seat for the collar of a rod, a gate sleeve slidable on said body to span the mouth of said slot, a keeper on said body having an upper retaining ledge and a lower retaining ledge, a catch on said body having alateral projection to either engage over said upper ledge or to be disposed under said lower ledge whereby to lock said gate sleeve either in upper slot open position or lower slot closed position.

In Witness that We claim the foregoing We have hereunto subscribed our names.

JOHN A. YERKES. JOHN G. BOUSLOG. 

